I just adore you
by goldfish400
Summary: Heavily inspired by Love Like You by Rebecca Sugar. How do you express to someone how much you love them? When you're not the best at handling your emotions, how do you express yourself to someone you love at all? When do you express this kind of emotion to someone? Apparently, when they're asleep. Unaware of and unable to hear anything you're saying.


"I could take over if you're getting tired, you know"

"I'm not-" Moana tries to snap, but her huge yawn cuts her off and invalidates her argument. "I'm not tired." She mumbles, and groggily attempts to reach for the halyard and wrap it around her wrist with one hand while she uses the other to rub at her eyes. "Besides" she mutters, and Maui's just about ready to roll his eyes at whatever argument she's about to make, because one of her eyes is half-closed and the other is shut entirely. "Wayfinders-" she yawns. "Real wayfinders never sleep. So they can actually get to where they need to go"

Ooh, he _really_ wishes he hadn't told her that. "Maybe if you were alone, Curly. But you're not. Go to sleep"

She sticks her tongue out at him. "I don't wanna" she mumbles, but she's rubbing at her eyes again.

Maui rolls his eyes. "Come on, Moana." He says. "It's been a long week. Go to sleep"

It really has. All Moana's done this week is work for other people, for her people, and she hasn't been able to make time for herself once. Maui was going to leave it alone, stay out of her personal business, but then the ocean caught him and worded its concern. Yes, Moana's usually hard working, always putting others before herself, but she's never pushed herself this hard before. She had even stopped coming down to the shore before dawn to dance, it had said.

And _that_ is when Maui decided that yes, this _absolutely_ was his business to deal with.

And it was simple, really. She seeks solace in the ocean, so that's where he offered to take her.

"I mean it" He tries for firm, but the feeling's not really there.

She considers him for a solid minute, and he swears as she stands he can catch amusement glinting in her eyes. "Fine" she says, throwing both of her arms in the air in a gesture of defeat. Okay, yeah, that's definitely amusement sprinkled over her groggy exhaustion. She moves away from her seat at the stern, and by the time she plops down beside him there's a grin spreading across her face.

"But if I have to go to sleep…" She trails off, laughter in her voice, and slides down until she's lying down on the deck. She pushes herself close to him and gently rests her head on top of his _'ie._ "I'm going to need a proper pillow" Moana says, and glances up at him. "It's only fair, right?" She asks, amusement still ringing loudly in her voice.

It's habit- and it shows just how many times she's done the same exact gesture in the past- that brings Maui to reach a hand down and plant it gently on top of her head. "And how do you expect me to navigate when I've got a mortal asleep literally on top of me?"

Moana smirks as she shifts closer when she finally seems to register the hand on her head. "Hmm," she hums. "I don't know. Maybe you should've figured that out before I lied down"

He raises an eyebrow at her. "Moana, I can't just let the canoe do whatever it wants" He says, and she laughs as she settles further.

"Demigod of the wind and _sea_ " she stresses, sparing a glance up at him. "I'm sure you'll figure it out somehow". She finally stops shifting, and in a manner much too loud and energetic to match her visible exhaustion and the peacefulness of the atmosphere, she loudly calls out "Night!" before she makes one more tiny adjustment of her body and shifts her head away from him. She closes her eyes, and once he's sure that she is in fact for the most part asleep, he turns to look out at the ocean.

"Can you believe her?" Maui whispers, and he _swears_ that it's habit that causes him to begin lightly petting at her hair. "She insists on sneaking out at night, promises she'd be able to stay up, and here she is only _hours_ after we've set out falling asleep on me" He blinks, and spares a glance down at her. His hand stops in its petting gesture before he turns his gaze out to the ocean. "Uh, literally" He says, flicking his head down toward her.

He doesn't really expect the ocean to answer, not really, so it's a bit of a surprise when the ocean raises its head up to look at him.

"You know what I'm trying to say, don't you?" Maui asks, raising an eyebrow. "I can't navigate if I stay here like this?"

The ocean considers him for a moment, and then it lowers itself the slightest amount so it can look at Moana. After a brief moment, it raises itself back up to his level and looks at him.

"What?" He asks, and the ocean just kind of stares at him for a second before it tilts its head toward him slightly. No. That's impossible. There's no way the _ocean_ is _smirking_ at him right now. It doesn't even have a face. He's seeing things. He has to be. But then the ocean shakes its head in a pattern that reminds him too uncomfortably much of Moana after she knows she's won an argument, so yes, the ocean is _definitely_ smirking at him right now.

The ocean sprays him in the face with a small jet of water to snap his attention back to it, and he glares at it. But then it shakes its head and points at Moana.

"What about her?" He asks, and tries to ignore the way he returns to that petting gesture when she stirs at his voice. The ocean's head rolls in a small circle, a gesture clearly meant to demonstrate an eye roll. It gestures again, this time to the arm he's placing on her head before it gestures back to him.

"What do you mean 'I want her here'? What I _want_ is for her to get off of me so I can navigate"

The ocean doesn't believe him. It gestures toward his arm again.

"What? This?" He asks, and gestures with his head toward the hand he's placing on her head. "It's a habit, okay?"

The ocean tilts its head.

"It is!"

The ocean gestures toward Moana, and then towards the stern of the canoe.

"What? No, I can't just push her off"

The ocean nods towards the stern of the canoe again. It's asking why not.

"Because," he says, and rolls his eyes. "She's asleep"

The ocean cocks its head to one side, like it's asking what the difference is between pushing her off and asking her to move by herself if she's asleep anyway.

"Because-" he starts, but trails off when realization dawns on him. Because he's content where he is. He's content staying where he is with Moana. He _does_ want her here. He shakes that thought away, if only momentarily, and turns his gaze he wasn't even aware he'd turned towards Moana back towards the ocean.

"But this doesn't mean I can just let the canoe float around all willy nilly. We'd get lost"

The ocean looks as if it's actually considering his answer, but then it shakes its head and points up at the sail. At first, Maui has no clue what the ocean's trying to say, but when he follows where the ocean's pointing to with his eyes he's surprised to see the sail is near-still, even when it's unfolded the entire way open.

Oh.

"There's no breeze" He thinks out loud, and the ocean nods. Well, without a breeze there's really nothing for the sail to catch on, and because he's literally speaking to the ocean Maui supposes that by extent- it's not planning on moving much either. He blinks, and spares a glance back down at Moana, still to where he's subconsciously lightly petting her hair.

He tries to ignore the small smile spreading across his face as he turns back to face the ocean.

"We won't get lost?"

The ocean nods.

"You're sure of it"

The ocean nods again.

Well, then, fine. If he doesn't need to move, if he can stay exactly where he is and let Moana sleep, then he won't. Maui shifts himself ever so slightly backwards so he can lean on the mast, and refocuses his full attention on Moana. Next to him, out of the corner of his eye, he can see the ocean retreating under the canoe, apparently taking him not responding as the answer it was looking for. He rolls his eyes.

"Y'know," he whispers downward, loud enough that Moana might be able to hear but quiet enough to be out of earshot of the ocean. "I don't know what you see in the ocean, Curly. I still think it's kooky-dooks"

Nothing. No argument back, no snort of laughter, no comment under her breath. Moana's well and truly asleep now. He rolls his eyes again, and takes the rare opportunity to just sit back and take in his surroundings.

It's a beautiful night. It really is. There's not a single covering the moon, not a single cloud covering any of the stars. The stars, the constellations especially, are glimmering brightly, twinkling as if they're trying to say hello. It's pretty warm, especially for a night out on the middle of the ocean, the lack of a breeze leaving them without a cold air to cut through the comforting warmth. And even if the ocean _thinks_ it's being subtle, Maui's well aware of its slow, gentle assistance in keeping the canoe on course so neither of them have to. Moana's dramatically slowed breathing as she sleeps matches almost perfectly with the ocean waves lapping gently against the sides of the canoe, enough that it seems to be creating a melody of sorts.

Maui thought he knew what sailing was like. The breeze through his hair, the ocean lapping against the wood. The water in his face, the salt on his lips. The thrill of a storm. The wind whistling in his ears, His hair being whipped from side to side. The calluses that run all the way up to his wrists on both of his arms.

He was wrong. Sailing with Moana- that's incomparable. Sure, he's sailed with others in the past. He's taught entire islands the art of wayfinding. Long, long before Moana was even born, and even before he met back up with her after Te Fiti. He's sailed with hundreds of others with hundreds of varieties in skill level.

But- there's something different about being out on the water with Moana. It's incomparable because there's nothing else _to_ compare it to. Maybe it's the way they talk, always joking around. The way her laughter seems to echo out on the ocean no matter where they are. Or maybe it's her enthusiasm, the way she gets so energetic and bouncy and the way she harasses his poor shoulder by repeatedly whacking at it every time she spots something new. Maybe it's her canoe, perfectly fit for two.

Or maybe, Maui thinks, and can't help his smile as he returns his gaze to Moana. Maybe it's Moana herself. Moana's his best friend. The first he's had in a long time. It's her kindness. Her cheeriness and the way she always smiles for him when she sees him. How she's always ecstatic to see him, even if he leaves for weeks and weeks at a time. It's her patience. How she's always willing to wait, her willingness to put his wants first no matter how badly she wants her own. It's her forgivingness.

It's her _love._ Gods, Moana is so full of love. She's not afraid to show it, either. She spreads it around to everyone she meets. It was her love that helped her fight back Te Kā so she could restore the Heart. Moana takes her love and spreads it to everyone she cares about. To her friends, to her family.

Even to him.

It's overwhelming. And if he could even beginto be _half_ of what Moana sees in him, this thing that she loves so dearly, Maui almost feels like he could learn that from her. How to give and how to love like she does.

And if Moana, so full of love, is willing to give to him- to love _him_ , then maybe, just maybe-he could learn to love himself as she does him. As he does her.

He laughs quietly, genuinely at the thought. He spares another glance down at Moana, still curled up asleep against him, and he rolls his eyes. He moves his hand away from where he'd been stroking her hair and moves it down to her back in a sort of half-hug. Even in her deep sleep, Moana's entire expression seems to soften at the touch. He rolls his eyes.

"I wish I knew, Curly" he murmurs to her, and shakes his head. "I wish I knew what makes you think I'm so special" He whispers, because it's true. He can't even begin to imagine the reasons why she holds him as closely as she does. What he did to deserve her.

Maui leans back against the mast again, and as he stares out at the water, he begins to hum. It's a soft, peaceful melody. The name of the song is escaping him now, but he remembers it as one that makes him think of Moana. With his arm gently laid over her, he leans his head back against the mast and continues to hum his song for her, and out of the corner of his eyes he can see her expression softening even more.

He tries to ignore the fondness creeping into his tone, softening his melody even more. But he keeps on humming anyway, and as much as she really needs the sleep Maui almost wishes she were awake to hear it.

He continues to hum his song, and he doesn't stop until he the peacefulness of the atmosphere begins putting him to sleep as well.

He's not even aware it's happening until he's awoken by the sun peeking over the horizon the next morning.


End file.
